Tipping etiquette

[deronal]

This is more of a general question rather than specific to Disney so I hope you don't mind me asking...

We've travelled to the USA quite a lot and we usually stay with friends or family but this trip we're staying in hotels all the time. I have no idea how much to leave for housekeeping or what to tip if people show us to our rooms or help us with our luggage. I know that we Brits are often seen as 'bad tippers' as we don't tip as much over here so I want to make sure that I get it right...

Thanks for any advice

 

[Girimama33]

This is more of a general question rather than specific to Disney so I hope you don't mind me asking...

We've travelled to the USA quite a lot and we usually stay with friends or family but this trip we're staying in hotels all the time. I have no idea how much to leave for housekeeping or what to tip if people show us to our rooms or help us with our luggage. I know that we Brits are often seen as 'bad tippers' as we don't tip as much over here so I want to make sure that I get it right...

Thanks for any advice

Personally, I tip $2-5 per day for housekeeping depending on the # of people in the room. I will leave it daily since the same person may not be in charge of your room each day.
A few bucks if someone actually shows you to your room, and at least $1 per bag for the Bell Staff.
I usually tip 20% for meals (but 15% is perfectly acceptable for good service).
If you take any tours, I suggest a tip for the tour guide (amount would depend on kind of tour, cost, etc).
Hope that helps.

 

[babyatlas]

i agree with the above. if someone shows you to your room i tip about $1 per bag or i might just give the person a $5. 15-20% is common in restaurants where you sit down and are served. if you get food at a fast food restaurant (like McDonalds) or a window where you walk up, order the food and walk away a tip is not expected.

tipping around $2-$5 per day for housekeeping is certainly nice but i honestly don't know too many people who do it. i'll be interested to watch this thread and see how much and how many tip for housekeeping.

enjoy!!

 

[disney4cam]

I agree with the above.

At hotels, we generally tip $1 per person per night - a little more for a fancier hotel or excellent service, and a little less if the maid service is not as good or really late.

 

[sherilaine]

I agree with tipping, but I tip for the service - if the service is not there, no tip. If the person bringing you your bags is a jerk, then off he goes without money, if he is friendly, helpful etc then he gets $5 or more if there are extra bags.

Restaurants are the same - I have left without tipping because the service was poor - now, granted I mean the service from the actual person at your table, it is not their fault if there is an issue with the menu, or the food, but I mean their service that is under their control. I agree with 15% as standard, but I have tipped far more for excellent service. I also think there is a minimum - the person working in the lower end restaurant is working just as hard as the person in the high end one, maybe more so, so I always leave a minimum $5 tip regardless of the size of the bill.

Housekeeping is harder to judge as by the time they are gone and you see what kind of job they did, well it's too late to decide to tip more. I tend to give about $3 a day for housekeeping, more if there are two bathrooms for them to clean. I do agree though that I think tipping for housekeeping is not a standard - but I think it's a nice gesture.

I think it would be interesting to hear from people who have worked in the hotel business as to what is common/expected/over the top? I have never had a job where I would get a tip, so I am sure their side of the story would be very interesting.

 

[Malcon10t]

15-20% in restaurants, higher for great service. $1 per bag for bell service. $2-5 for Valet when we pick up the car. $2-5 a day for housekeeping, left daily. Tours, depends on the tours. Cabs, again 15%.

 

[Meriweather]

20% in restaurants
$1 per bag for bell services
$1 per person for housekeeping in hotels that are less than $100. $2 per person if more.

 

[tdhickey]

Here is my strategy

Bring a separate envelop with housekeeping, driver and bell service tips. This way you don't feel like you are putting out extra since you have already written off the tip money. If service is bad don't tip, if it is amazing tip more.

Driver Service - $10 per hour, cabs 10% unless the service is awesome

Restaurants - 20%, to me its more a lazy thing as 20% is simply easy math, will tip higher for awesome serve...but admittedly this is a rare thing even in Disney park restaurants. Service is good, but not incredible. Servers who are great with my kids get more tips!

Housekeeping - $5 a day for housekeeping. To be honest, I have never noticed a difference even between a tip and no tip. However, it feels good and I don't think they get paid very well.

Bell Service - I hate bell service, tipping someone to pull you bags seems ludicrous, especially those people who just grab your bags and assume you want help. I still tip $1 per bag, begrudgingly.

 

[beckymomof2]

This is more of a general question rather than specific to Disney so I hope you don't mind me asking...

We've travelled to the USA quite a lot and we usually stay with friends or family but this trip we're staying in hotels all the time. I have no idea how much to leave for housekeeping or what to tip if people show us to our rooms or help us with our luggage. I know that we Brits are often seen as 'bad tippers' as we don't tip as much over here so I want to make sure that I get it right...

Thanks for any advice

Where do you leave tips for housekeeping? How do they know its for them?

 

[hitodis2016]

For housekeeping, I usually leave the tip with a note for any requests (extra towels, coffee, etc) under a glass on the bathroom counter. Then they know the money is a tip and not just forgotten.

 

[Lemonademouth]

Where do you leave tips for housekeeping? How do they know its for them?

Some hotels leave housekeeping tipping envelopes, usually near the coffee maker, but my husband and I usually just follow what we learned via disboards and take our own envelopes, but instead of decorating theme we would for mousekeeping we just write 'Housekeeping' on it and leave it someplace visible, usually on the dresser with the tv on it.

 

[beckymomof2]

Some hotels leave housekeeping tipping envelopes, usually near the coffee maker, but my husband and I usually just follow what we learned via disboards and take our own envelopes, but instead of decorating theme we would for mousekeeping we just write 'Housekeeping' on it and leave it someplace visible, usually on the dresser with the tv on it.

Interesting. I've never been in a hotel with tipping envelopes. We've stayed at a lot of different hotels too. Some very nice. The only time I've seen tipping envelopes is when I was on a cruise.

 

[Dot2Vegas]

We generally tip 15-20% for sit down dining, no tip for counter service (unless they have a tip jar out, then I usually put a dollar or two in it). We don't generally use housekeeping during our hotel stays (my husband is in the hotel industry and sees too many thefts). We do however call for extra towels and things like that. We will tip the person bringing them a dollar or two. And we usually leave $5 when we check out.

 

[Meriweather]

Where do you leave tips for housekeeping? How do they know its for them?

We usually leave it on a pillow or in the tub with the dirty towels.

Have never seen envelopes in any hotel we have ever stayed.

 

[Lemonademouth]

Interesting. I've never been in a hotel with tipping envelopes. We've stayed at a lot of different hotels too. Some very nice. The only time I've seen tipping envelopes is when I was on a cruise.

The one I can remember off hand was the ramada.

 

[Mama Who]

$2 a night if I'm alone, $4 if I have my sloppy guys and kid in diapers with me Or if we create a massive amount of trash, like ordering out chinese.

10-20% for restaurants. Remember that in CA the server *is* making the state mandated minimum wage, not the lower federal or the outrageous under-minimum allowed in some states so if your server is flat out rude you are not "costing her money" to wait on if you decline to tip. (We have seldom had service that bad, but once or twice.)

I have a teenager, I make him be bell services. :rofl:

 

[AZlady]

I have never tipped housekeeping. I did tip the lady who brought me my free breakfast a candy cane inn (I gave her $5 a day)
I tip very well at table service.
( maybe I value food more than a clean room...lol)

 

[tdhickey]

I have never tipped housekeeping. I did tip the lady who brought me my free breakfast a candy cane inn (I gave her $5 a day)
I tip very well at table service.
( maybe I value food more than a clean room...lol)

I never used to tip the housekeeping either, but have since started doing that.

 

[bluedevilinaz]

I used to work as a houseman(the person who brings you extra towels, etc) and $1 or $2 is plenty unless you're requesting a lot of items, a large item(like a fridge/microwave), or forget something and ask the person to bring it when they've brought your original requested items then $3-$5 is preferred. Keep in mind, the items you requested may not be in that floor's housekeeping room and they may have to go searching other floors for it. If I have a lot of trash at night I would call down to the housekeeping office to ask for a trash bag. They will bring you one and sometimes will help you clean it up and take it away right then. I would tip them $2-$4(depending on the amount of trash) if they help and take it away, if they don't then I revert back to the $1-$2.

As for housekeeping, I usually leave $1-$2 a day.

Restaurants 15% or $5 is the minimum I leave for service. It can only increase or decrease from there depending on their demeanor and how well my drink is kept full. If I have bad service or exceptionally good service I will ask to speak to a manager and let them know.

Hope that helps!

 

[Midnightred]

We usually tip the housekeepers the last night of our stay and leave them $15-$20, but maybe this next time I'll leave something everyday. $2 per bag or so for airport check-in and hotel bellhops, but $3 is better.

Midnightred